stubbornness runs in the family
by beyourownanchor16
Summary: The three times Killian gets through to Henry and the one time Henry gets through to him. Captain Cobra with slight Captain Swan


**Words: 2516  
>Summary: The three times Killian gets through to Henry and the one time Henry gets through to him. CaptainCobra<strong>

**A/N: Hey guys! Enjoy and let me know what you think! :)**

**1. **

"Shouting at your mother. Bad form, mate."

He doesn't know whether to be relieved or annoyed that it's the pirate's voice he hears instead of anyone else's. Then again, Henry knows he'd rather be with anyone but a member of his family right then.

"I failed," he whispers instead, and he hears Killian sigh as the man makes himself comfortable beside him.

"This isn't on you, Henry," Killian says and the man's presence beside him relaxes the tense way his shoulders had been scrunched up. Killian pats him on the back. "How were you supposed to know that the Crocodile was after the same thing?"

"I should have done something. I should have been able to do anything to keep him from getting his hands on the hat. And now, he has it again and my mom has no way of getting her happy ending," a few tears fall from his eyes and he's thankful when Killian says nothing of them.

"Regina will get her happy ending, Henry. I am most sure of it, lad," Killian's voice holds such sincerity that Henry almost believes him.

"How can you be? She's written as a villain. She's done terrible things but she's changed. And she's done so much good now but all she gets in return is sadness. How can you be so sure that she will get the happiness she deserves?"

"Because I did," Killian admits softly. "And if someone as damned as me can attain the happiness that I have right now, then Regina will get hers too. Right now, she does have a happy ending, Henry, and it's you."

"I know that," he whimpers, "But I want more for her. I'm her son. She needs her true love."

"And she will get it. It may or may not have been Robin Hood, Henry, but she will find her true love. Your family has a history of finding the ones they love no matter what. You just have to believe."

"She doesn't believe any more."

"Well, they don't call you the Truest Believer for nothing, do they?" Killian winks at him and for the first time since they lost to Rumplestiltskin, Henry feels the weight on his shoulders lift a little. He gives Killian a small smile.

"You're right," Henry admits and Killian smugly nudges him.

"Of course I am," Henry chuckles as he and the pirate get up. "Now, how about you apologize to Emma for shouting at her when she was only trying to help? Honestly lad, you're lucky I am as fond of you as her or we would be having a duel right now."

Henry snorts as he stomps down the guilt. Killian was right. Emma hadn't deserved the brunt of his anger but she had been the first one to try to comfort him when his grandfather had taken the hat from him.

He'd been so focused on how much he had let down one mother, that he had hurt another.

"I'll apologize to her," he promises before grinning and wiping away the remaining tears. "And by the way, I'm pretty sure I would win in the duel."

Killian lifts his eyebrows. "And how, pray tell, would you? You are a thirteen-year-old boy. I am a thirty-three year old man."

"Pretty sure you're about five hundred years old, old man. Besides, I'm a Charming. It runs in my blood."

"I was in Neverland for three hundred years and survived Lost Boys and Peter Pan."

"I am the Saviour's son. And I'm pretty sure she knocked you out when you were with Cora in the Enchanted Forest."

"Well, you got me there, lad."

**2. **

"No. No no no no no. Please, no," he's crying as he holds Killian and Henry cannot help but look at his grandfather. "Grandpa, please. You don't have to do this."

Rumplestiltskin looks at him, sorrow and regret etched on his aged face and Henry knows that no matter what he says, and no matter how much he begs, Rumplestiltskin is gonna crush the heart in his hands. Killian's heart.

"Grandpa, please. Dad wouldn't –"

"Don't you dare bring my son into this!" his grandfather's eyes, where it had been wet with sadness before, now flashed with a burning anger. He limped towards them, and Henry and Killian step backwards, the younger man still holding on to the older, not wanting to let go. "Don't you dare talk about my son when you're protecting _him_!"

"Henry, you need to go," Killian whispers and Henry shakes his head. "There's no reasoning with him. The rest of them will not be in time to save me, lad. You don't have to be here for this."

"I am not leaving you," Henry counters fiercely and Killian groans as Rumplestiltskin squeezes the heart in his hand even more. "I already lost one father. I'm not going to lose another."

He doesn't look at Killian as he says that, but he does hear the way the man calls his name with such fondness and love that he glares at the mad man in front of him.

He hates him, he realizes. He hates the man that Rumplestiltskin is. He hates how Rumplestiltskin was once a coward who could never fight for what he wanted. He hates how his grandfather failed to keep his promise to his father about being good. He hates the crazy man who could never appreciate the love he had around him, who could never see that love is enough, that love is power.

He feels the magic course through him as his emotions get stronger. He sees the way his grandfather's eyes widen in shock. He hears Killian's breath hitching.

He doesn't know what to do. This is the first time he's ever used his magic. Despite this, he does know that he wants to hurt the crazy man with Killian's heart in his hands. And he does just that.

The magic he emits pushes Rumplestiltskin backwards, knocking the limp man out as his head bangs against the wall. Hard. Henry barely looks at him as he takes Killian's heart and before Killian can say anything, he pushes his heart back into his body.

The older man whimpers at first, before he smiles weakly at Henry. It is then that Henry turns to his grandfather, and when he sees that Rumplestiltskin is not moving at all, he sinks to the ground, arms wrapped around his shoulder as he rocks back and forth.

He killed him. He's a murdered. He killed his grandfather.

"Henry."

He feels the hands on his face, and then his shoulders as he rocks back and forth.

"Henry!"

He hears his mother's voice then. And then footsteps but he blocks them all out. He's a murdered. He killed his grandfather. He's a killer.

"Henry!"

He doesn't look at anyone. He can't. He's a killer.

"Everyone give him space!"

He continues rocking. He's a killer.

"Henry, lad, he's not dead. You knocked him out. You saved me. Henry, look at me," he feels gentle hands inch his face up and he looks at the piercing blue eyes of the man he considers his father.

"You wonderful boy," Killian says and Henry looks around. His mothers are looking at him worriedly, Emma with her hand on Killian's shoulder as Regina smiles at him through her tears.

"I killed him," he says again and he feels the tears run down his cheeks.

"No, you didn't," his grandfather's voice break through to him and he looks at David and Snow on the other side. They're beside Rumplestiltskin with Belle, and it is her who nods at him.

"I didn't?"

"No, Henry, you didn't," Killian softly smiles.

"You're okay?"

"Thanks to you," Killian grins and before he knows it, he is hugging Killian and crying and Killian is hugging him back just as tightly.

"You are such a damsel in distress," Henry says as relief clouds him and he smiles at his mother. Emma and Regina laugh and Killian chuckles.

"Aye. Can't argue with you on that one right now, mate."

**3.**

"So, college, eh?"

Henry's eyes widen and he gapes as Killian hands him three letters from colleges he had applied to. He looks at his stepfather, not knowing what to say, when Killian sighs and asks, "So, why were these in the trash?"

"You went through my trash?" the eighteen-year-old raised his eyes at the former pirate and Killian scrunches his nose in disgust.

"Of course not. That's bloody disgusting. Your brother did," Killian grins and Henry rolls his eyes.

"It doesn't matter anyway. I'm not going," he reveals and Killian does not look as surprised as he thought he would be.

"I figured. You mind telling me why, lad?"

"I can't leave this town, Killian," he tells Killian and Killian silently waits for him to explain. "There's always something going on. We just defeated the Pied Piper a month ago. This town is as cursed as it was when it first arrived in this world."

"I'm pretty sure that after all these years, we are equipped to handle whatever new monsters come our way, Henry," Killian shrugs.

"So many bad things happen in this town. What if something bad happens while I'm gone?"

"Henry, I'm not going to promise you that nothing is going to happen, because I do not intend to break any promises that I've made to you," Killian begins and Henry looks at his stepfather, "But I can promise you that if things get too bad, we will give you a call."

"We both know that our definitions of bad are very different."

"True, so how about a compromise?" Killian suggests and Henry waits. "How about we send you videos of our town each week? The week that we do not send you anything is the week that you know that something is wrong?"

"Killian, what if – "

"You cannot stay in this town forever, lad. You have to explore the world while you can. Create memories outside this town, make friends with people who are not fairytale characters and maybe, the world will teach you a thing or two about saving this town."

They sit in silence as Henry contemplates everything that Killian said. He knows that his stepfather is right, that he cannot just hide behind the town's line forever. But he also knows that he cannot leave his family behind.

"You will not be leaving us, lad," Killian smiles at him. "You are just like your mother, you know? Always stubbornly putting everyone else before yourself. You will not be leaving us because we expect you to come back."

Henry smiles at Killian and when the older man sees that he has gotten through to his stepson, Killian holds up all three college letters.

"Now, which shall we open first?"

**+1**

_Emma's been injured, Killian. Get to the hospital as soon as you can. _

He all but runs from their apartment after he gets the call from David. He curses himself for not bothering to learn how to drive a land vessel as he starts running but sighs in relief when a blue car pulls over beside him, Belle in the passenger seat. She tells him to get in and as soon as he does, she presses on the pedal. He barely notices the horns that blare from the other vehicles or how fast Belle was driving. All he cares about is getting to Emma.

_She was stabbed with a poisonous blade. Snow and Regina are trying to find the antidote. _

He prays as he clenches his fist, barely noticing the comforting pat Belle gives him on his shoulder. When they finally reach the hospital, he all but shouts for her and it is David who leads them outside the operating theatre.

"It's a deep wound, Killian," David tells him, and he nods. "It's going to take a bit of time."

"I'll wait here all night if I have to."

"Liam can stay with me tonight," Belle offers and Killian nods thankfully at her. He doesn't want his son anywhere near the hospital but when he hears the tiny footsteps running towards him, Killian holds out his arms and hugs his three-year-old son as tightly as he can.

Emma's in surgery for the third hour when he feels another presence beside him. Liam is asleep on Belle's lap and Killian looks beside him to find his stepson.

"Hey," Henry says softly and Killian wraps his arms around the boy – his boy – and tells him how happy he is that he made it. Henry nods and gestures at the door.

"She's going to be fine," Henry says with such conviction that Killian finds himself slowly believing him. "I found the antidote for the poison in the dagger that Mother Gothel used to stab Mom with. Dr Whale should know what to do once he's closed the wound."

"Well done," Killian smiles at him and when Henry slumps on the seat, Killian plays with his fingers.

Two hours later, they are both in Emma's room, with the woman they both love resting peacefully. Killian strokes her hair as he holds her hand, his eyes never leaving his face.

"You knew something was going to go wrong today, didn't you? Before she got stabbed?" Henry asks and when his son looks at him with that look that begs him not to lie, Killian gives a small nod.

"Killian, you couldn't have known –"

"My instincts have always been right when it comes to your mother, you or Liam, Henry," he ignores the tightness in his chest as he deflates whatever reasoning his son was going to come up with. "I should have followed them. Should have known that she – "

"That she was going to get stabbed outside the Sheriff's station when she hasn't been hurt in this town for quite a while? Killian, how could you possibly have known? Mother Gothel is one of the craziest villains that you've ever dealt with – "

"Which is why I should have been more alert. And where was I when this happened? Getting coffee at Granny's," he spits out, disgust at his own lack of vigilance.

"If this is your fault, then it is mine too," Henry's voice shakes as he says this and Killian immediately sits up, squares his shoulders and narrows his eyes at his stepson.

"How could you have –"

"I knew about Mother Gothel but I still stayed in school a hundred miles away because of my exams. I put my school before my family even when I knew the danger that this town is in."

"Henry, lad, that is ridiculous – "

"If I'm not allowed to be guilty about that, then you are not allowed to feel guilty about getting coffee," Henry scoffs stubbornly and Killian shakes his head.

"You're a stubborn man, Henry," the former pirate slumps in his seat, feeling a little better and Henry grins at his stepfather.

"It runs in the family."

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did writing it. Let me know if you want more! :)**


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